AAR Corp - Digital MRO

Summary

As a global provider of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services and the largest independent provider in the United States, AAR’s team of 3,000 aircraft maintenance technicians and inspectors ensure that commercial aircraft remain safe and operational. Despite advances in technology, the MRO industry still heavily relies on paper-based documentation processes in 2024. This reliance on outdated methods presents significant challenges in efficiency, accuracy, and data management.

The team was awarded an Aviation Weekly Laureate Award in 2024 in the MRO category in addition to passing all customer and FAA audit approvals as we've launched to multiple lines and customers.

Core Tools

• Figma
• Journey / user story mapping with Avion.io
• BPMN
• Gherkin/BDD

Problems

The traditional MRO process involves excessive paper documentation, leading to inefficiencies, errors, and workflow conflicts. The size of aircraft hangars, which often run 3 to 10 separate projects simultaneously, exacerbates these inefficiencies. Time spent walking from the plane to the project management office can lead to an hour or more of wasted time per day. This inefficiency prevents technicians and inspectors from staying on the plane and continuing their work, further delaying the process.

Solutions

To address these challenges, we developed an application that digitizes and manages the entire MRO process. A key innovation in the design was shifting the journey map from the perspective of individual user roles to the perspective of the work package as it moves through the process. This approach reduces redundancy and clarifies the workflow for all involved.

Key Features and Workflow

1. Heavy Check Package Delivery (Role: Planners)

   • The application handles the initial delivery of heavy check packages (C & D checks) digitally, allowing planners to manage and distribute the packages without physical paperwork.

2. Package Splitting into Individual Work Cards (Role: Planners)

   • Planners can easily split packages into individual work cards within the application, ensuring each task is clearly defined and tracked.

3. Grouping Work Cards by Milestones and Overall Project Flow (Role: Project Managers, Supervisors, Leads)

   • Work cards are grouped by milestones, enabling project managers, supervisors, and leads to oversee the entire project flow efficiently.

4. Work Card Assignment (Role: Leads)

   • Leads can assign work cards to maintenance technicians directly within the application, ensuring everyone knows their tasks and responsibilities.

5. Work Execution (Role: Maintenance Technicians)

   • Maintenance technicians use the application to execute their tasks, marking progress and completion digitally, which improves accuracy and accountability.

6. Inspection (Role: Inspectors)

   • Inspectors can review and approve work cards in real-time, minimizing the need to leave the aircraft and enhancing productivity.

7. Work Card Auditing (Role: Auditors, Production Controllers)

   • Auditors and production controllers can easily track and audit the progress of work cards, ensuring compliance and thorough documentation.

By keeping technicians and inspectors on the aircraft with tablets, the application eliminates the need for physical paperwork and significantly reduces time wasted walking to and from the project management office. This digital transformation enhances overall efficiency, accuracy, and productivity in the MRO process.

Awards

• 2024 Aviation Weekly Laureate, MRO category
• Recognized by United Airlines as their first outside vendor to execute a complete paperless process and deliver a wholly digital work package upon project completion